So many NBA players current and historic sh*t talk way worse than Embiid.. not sure why he specifically gets called out here.. I guess social media magnifies what probably is no different than during Jordan's era.

Agreed. And when I saw him crying I saw a young man who truly felt the moment and will hopefully grow from it.

For me it's less about the trash talk and more about the flopping and crying to the refs. He's not alone in that, but I wish the league would crack down more on the behavior. Hopefully they'll begin to allow flopping fouls to be called in game.

"Stay away from negative people. They have a problem for every solution" - Albert Einstein

So many NBA players current and historic sh*t talk way worse than Embiid.. not sure why he specifically gets called out here.. I guess social media magnifies what probably is no different than during Jordan's era.

Agreed. And when I saw him crying I saw a young man who truly felt the moment and will hopefully grow from it.

For me it's less about the trash talk and more about the flopping and crying to the refs. He's not alone in that, but I wish the league would crack down more on the behavior. Hopefully they'll begin to allow flopping fouls to be called in game.

There goes like 80% of the NBA then if that's the way you feel.. again the whining has been around for ages.

Aint nothing new about the world order..it's been playing since the day they put George Washington on a quarterDelivering Truth while the 10% deliver lies.

I love how nice Gasol was to Embiid after the game. "Losing is not failure."

The most interesting thing I've learned from this Raptors season, and I feel like Coach Nurse has been my coach too, is that they learn from everything. A loss is not a a disappointment, it's an opportunity to learn something and get better from it. You can really see it working through the players, in their mindset. It's hard as a fan because you just want your guys to win win win all the time, but it's not possible, really. They have to lose sometimes. I'm glad that they take it and learn from it and improve for the next time.

I'm really hoping that the deeper they get in these playoffs the more they learn, and the better they get!

Nintendo Switch Friend Code: SW-3988-0736-8767The Magic Hour Show Podcast |clockworkhouse: Is a girl not entitled to the dreams of her mind?
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But "The Most Unstoppable Player in the League and best defender in the league" thinks he is a true superstar and broadcasts that to everyone. Which of the other top players in the league are even close to Embiid in this sort of stuff? Giannis? Kawhi? Durant? Harden? Curry? He is your guy and you are defending him, I get it.

I am old enough that it is really hard for me to generate much animosity at all towards teams or players like I had 20 years ago when I was young and dumb (vs old and dumb). Brandon Jennings was that way years ago in Milwaukee and I couldn't stand him. I just don't care that much anymore. This Sixers team and in particular Embiid and Simmons has sparked some of that, so that says something to me at least. I am glad they are not my team.

TheGameguru wrote:

There goes like 80% of the NBA then if that's the way you feel.. again the whining has been around for ages.

If this is true, the fact that Embiid rises to such a level above the rest speaks volumes of the image and message he has been putting out, IMO.

Battle.net ID: bhchrist#1556

"A kid friendly version of the Kama Sutra. With clowns. Probably not the most safe-for-work."--tanstaafl

So many NBA players current and historic sh*t talk way worse than Embiid.. not sure why he specifically gets called out here.. I guess social media magnifies what probably is no different than during Jordan's era.

The "Why" for me is because most of the historic sh*t talking stayed on the court. Embiid has brought the level of disrespect to a whole new level in press conferences and social media. He is also notorious in shrinking away when things go poorly. He constantly trolls and baits both in the media and on the court. He is dismissive publicly of those who are "below" him. Want to call him a modern day Laimbeer with his taunting and baiting for a reaction? Sure. I didn't like Laimbeer either.The laughing about the elbow to the face of Jarrett Allen with Simmons in the press conference was the final straw for me.

That's pretty funny. I kind of got re-interested in the NBA, in part, from watching Jalen and Jacoby. I like them, but won't really watching much basketball. But it was the fun they had breaking down the ridiculous extremes NBA players use Twitter for trash talking, tampering, and just entertainment, that drew me in. The NBA players seemed a lot more fun than their NFL and MLB counterparts.

Maybe that is all a terrible aspect of the NBA, and I should not watch, but it seems like most fans get it. It's like a WWE side-hustle for a ton of players.

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No, Shaq was a riot. I didn't mind Kobe, I had no problem with Reggie Miller (unless you are talking about his time in the broadcast booth) or Bird or Mutombo, or LeBron or many many others over the past decades. It is his self promotion combined with everything else that rubs me the wrong way. I am not a fan of players giving shots and pushes after the play and whistle to goad a reaction. He is a much, much, much more talented Laimbeer in that regard. I do not think it is ok to laugh about throwing elbows to the head of an opponent and all his flagrant fouls (tied for tops in the league with Westbrook for 2017-2019). I don't think it is cool to say "He's a nobody" about Jared Dudley (no, I didn't like Dudley's retaliation shove on Embiid either). Disrespect your opponents on the court, respect them off the court.

Battle.net ID: bhchrist#1556

"A kid friendly version of the Kama Sutra. With clowns. Probably not the most safe-for-work."--tanstaafl

One of the reasons to love sports is the moments of pure emotion - joy or disappointment. What Embiid's previous moments did or did not include, I don't care because I appreciate seeing something so raw and honest in that moment.

I have trouble with your list because Kobe is most probably guilty of sexual assault.

Shaq was mostly okay during his career, but he was definitely a bully at times. And in his post-NBA career TNT had to to intervene to get him to stop bullying Javale McGee over Twitter.

Embiid's taunting isn't great. I wish he wouldn't do it. But he's far from alone. I'm getting this weird vibe that people consider him to be an unredeemable human and I don't understand that. I don't get that impulse to write off a 25 year old guy who's not that different from most of his peers.

At the end of game 7 I saw a young man who realized how much it truly hurts to care about something and to fall short. Someone who might learn how to take care of his body better and prepare down the road. It gave me hope for his career and his development as a person.

I have trouble with your list because Kobe is most probably guilty of sexual assault.

Shaq was mostly okay during his career, but he was definitely a bully at times. And in his post-NBA career TNT had to to intervene to get him to stop bullying Javale McGee over Twitter.

Embiid's postgame taunting isn't great. I wish he wouldn't do it. But he's far from alone. I'm getting this weird vibe that people consider him to be an unredeemable human and I don't understand that. I don't get that impulse to write off a 25 year old guy who's not that different from most of his peers.

At the end of game 7 I saw a young man who realized how much it truly hurts to care about something and to fall short. Someone who might learn how to take care of his body better and prepare down the road. It gave me hope for his career and his development as a person.

Good point about Kobe and I absolutely should have remembered that. Major, major oversight on my part. Had no clue about the twitter stuff with Shaq. Just pulled players I recall being brash off the top of my head that I don't recall having a strong opinion on. I'm not writing anyone off. He can be a very fun player to watch play. I will probably like him more if he stops cheap-shotting guys and baiting while laughing about it. He can do what he wants, I don't care.

Battle.net ID: bhchrist#1556

"A kid friendly version of the Kama Sutra. With clowns. Probably not the most safe-for-work."--tanstaafl

Feeling mixed about that result. On one hand, feels like the basketball gods are compensating for Davis requesting a trade. On the other hand, he wouldn’t have if they had shown any ability to build around him. Do we want them wasting Zion’s first 8 years?

Feeling mixed about that result. On one hand, feels like the basketball gods are compensating for Davis requesting a trade. On the other hand, he wouldn’t have if they had shown any ability to build around him. Do we want them wasting Zion’s first 8 years?

All joking aside, no we don’t. This is a depressing result.

Hopefully the Pelicans’ owner uses this opportunity to sell high to Howard Schultz. Schultz can abandon his political campaign to bring the Sonics back. Zion can play in a cool city in great rivalries.

Hopefully the Pelicans’ owner uses this opportunity to sell high to Howard Schultz. Schultz can abandon his political campaign to bring the Sonics back.

This would get Schultz more public adulation than anything else he has done this year.

DSGamer wrote:

Embiid's taunting isn't great. I wish he wouldn't do it. But he's far from alone.

Listen, I'm 100% fine if he wants to be a bully and a troll. Which, for my money, he is. However, I am also going to take some enjoyment in seeing trolls take one on the chin every now and then.

I agree with what Bomani Jones said on his podcast today, he compared it to the 1986 Miami Hurricanes football teams. They stunted on everybody, and deserved to. But if you're gonna stunt (especially in the trolleriffic way Embiid does), it's kinda wack be out here getting all weepy when it doesn't go your way (as Miami did when they lost to Penn State that season).

Or, put another way, after Dame hit that game winner, and waved Russ off the court (Russ, who also has a habit of talking a great deal of trash), would there have been anywhere near this much compassion if Russ had broken down in tears? Maybe, but I doubt it. Gasol was class, sure, but Kawhi or Lowry definitely should've hit Embiid with a "don't let the door hit ya..."

Also I would love to see an NBA owner in this situation sell. Basically, how much would a new owner value the rights to draft Zion before we know how good he’s actually going to be?

I know. Sentiment remains. There was a lot of talk a few years ago of the Bucks ending up there if the Fiserv Forum didn't get built. Would not have felt the same then. NO should be a good city. Who knows.

Battle.net ID: bhchrist#1556

"A kid friendly version of the Kama Sutra. With clowns. Probably not the most safe-for-work."--tanstaafl

Didn't the Bensons buy the team to make sure it stayed in New Orleans? I don't think it is likely they would sell to someone who plans to take it to another place. I do wish Seattle would get a team back though.

The collection of staff members only hired on the basis of their football experience is kind of wild. The team’s head trainer hired in 2010 came from the Texans, and his successor was an assistant trainer for the Saints. In 2012, the team hired Mickey Loomis to be president of basketball operations for the Pelicans while also being general manager of the Saints. The organization even kept on Dr. Misty Suri, a Saints orthopedist who was fired in 2017 after misdiagnosing cornerback Delvin Breaux’s broken leg, as Director of Medical Services and Head Team Physician.